With a longer-than-usual line-up of four bands, the show kicked off just after 8:30pm. First up was the pop stompin’ beats of the Three Orange Whips. Not phased by the small crowd of about fifty people and lead singer Daniel’s sore throat (again!), the Whips kicked their set off with favourite ‘French Movie’. After that they played a mix of released (‘Ladies and Gentlemen…’ EP) and unreleased (new CD) tracks including ‘Your Welcome’, ‘Laughing’, ‘Wasteland’ and a couple I’d not heard before. Off the stage, some (slight intoxicated?) members of the crowdstarted rolling around and wrestling on the floor, but before too long this was broken up by security. One highlight of most Whips’ performances is ‘Tina Rockarena’. This seemingly endless track (literally) showcases all that the Whips have to offer, fusing rock and 80’s pop together into one five-minute epic. Finally to close the set off, in waiting for Love Camp’s bass player Ant to arrive, the crowd’s requests were answered with cult favourite ‘Fuck The Salad’, with Dan putting in a very over-the-top stage performance to really cap it off what ended up an extended appearance by the Whips.

When Ant finally arrived it was time for the Whips’ partners-in-crime Love Camp 7 to take the stage. The trio that are Love Camp 7 play an unmistakeable, catchy style of punk music, with more than splash of humour thrown in. Even though I have seen them play many times, their music never seems boring and they always put in a good performance, though sometimes short in duration. Tonight was no exception and their fast paced music had the crowd on their toes, with a number of people out on the dance floor. As usual, Love Camp 7 played their regular set comprising of tunes from their ‘Oddly Slightway’ CD (and ‘Chicha’ demo tape), and many new ones from their forthcoming (but slightly delayed) CD ‘Smell the Glove’. They raced through their numbers in true punk rock fashion, like there’s no tomorrow, although there was still room in between songs to respond to the hecklers as only Love Camp can do. One of many high points was my favourite ‘Jack Daniels’ which throws Mikes fast paced guitar, Chris’ hard hitting drum beats and some very strange chorus vocals from Ant. With still sometime on the clock and room for one more, Whips’ Dan returned to stage to provide vocals on ‘Smashomania’, rounding off what was a top performance.

Shortly after 10 made the appearance of Team Jedi. Ever since I first saw them play late last year, I have been a big fan of their upbeat pop sounds. Wasting no time, they got right into the best of their material, most from their recent release, the excellent ‘Pilot Sessions’ EP. Apart from a couple of technical hitches along the way, which were fixed with the help of Alex Hyman, the team put in a very polished, almost flawless performance. The smooth, sweet sounding vocals of singer Lee Hunter are complemented by his top guitar work and keyboards from Dana Wong, all of which makes Team Jedi stand out from the crowd. One of their best tracks must definitely be ‘Minutes & Seconds’ which sounds even better live than it does on the CD, mainly due to the melodic guitar which seems to echo and resonate throughout the entire joint. Contrasting this are pure pop tracks such as ‘Mister Blister’, ‘For Sure’ and ‘Safe Again’ where the keyboard sound shine through, making this the perfect pick-me-up late on a Thursday night. I’m sure bigger things are in store in the future for this foursome.

Last but not least was local favourites Red Jezebel. The Jez are true veterans of the local scene, having headlined many shows and supporting touring bands on countless others. Responding to the beckoning of guitarist Chris Hayes, a large number of punters got their dancing shoes on and headed for the dance floor. Despite playing similar sets to that of their other shows, their performance was still as fresh as ever. Leading from the front, vocalist and guitarist Paul Woods thrashes out tunes like only he can. Signs that Red Jezebel are heading back to the studio are highlighted by the number of new tracks making their way onto the setlist, including ‘Mobile Phone’ and the opening, still unnamed, instrumental number. Sandwiched in between these newies were numbers from their current disc, ranging from the fast paced rockers of ‘Itch’ and ‘Rum & Raison’ to the slow, smooth sounds of the aptly named ballad ‘Soothers’. After about nine or ten songs, and with midnight upon us, brought a close to a pretty good night. Not the greatest gig ever, but it was still a top display of some of the finest musical talent in Perth, illustrating the strength of the local music scene.

by Dylan McArdle for Bubblehead.